WHO against sweeteners: “Don’t use them to lose weight. No long-term benefits and possible risks.” The guidelines

the BDC

Common NSSs include acesulfame K, aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia, and stevia derivatives. According to a review by the international body they would not work to control body weight or reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases and there could be side effects such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality in adults. THE DOCUMENT

15 MAG –

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a new guideline on sweeteners other than sugar (non-sugar sweeteners or NSS), which advises against its use to control body weight or reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases. The recommendation is based on findings from a systematic review of the available evidence suggesting that the use of NSS confers no long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children. The review findings also highlight that there may be potential side effects from long-term use of NSS, such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and adult mortality.

“Replacing free sugars with NSS does not help with long-term weight control. People need to consider other ways to reduce their free sugar intake, such as consuming foods with natural sugars, such as fruit, or unsweetened foods and drinks,” she says Francesco Branca, WHO Director for Nutrition and Food Security. “NSS are not essential dietary factors and have no nutritional value. People should cut back on dietary ‘sweetness’ altogether, starting early in life, to improve their health.”

The recommendation applies to all people, except patients with pre-existing diabetes, and includes all synthetic, naturally occurring or modified non-nutritive sweeteners found in processed foods and beverages, or sold on their own. to be added to food and beverages by consumers. Common NSSs include acesulfame K, aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia, and stevia derivatives.

The recommendation does not apply to personal care and hygiene products containing NSS, such as toothpastes, skin creams and medications, or to low-calorie sugars and sugar alcohols (polyols), which are sugars or derivatives containing calories and therefore not considered NSS.

Because the evidence-observed link between NSS and disease outcomes could be confounded by the baseline characteristics of study participants and complicated patterns of NSS use, the recommendation was evaluated as conditional, in accordance with the line development processes. guidance of the international body. This indicates that decisions based on this recommendation should require discussion in specific national contexts, linked for example to the extent of consumption of these products in different age groups.

B.D.C.

15 maggio 2023
© breaking latest news

Other articles in Science and Drugs